Draft-block attachment for freight-cars.



PATENI'ED FEB. 10, 1903. T. M. BAUGHAN. DRAFT BLOCK ATTACHMENT FOR FREIGHT (JARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1902.

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THOMAS M. BAUGHAN, OF PADUOAH, KENTUCKY.

DRAFT-BLUCK ATTACHMENT FOR FREIGHT-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,989, dated February 10, 1903.

7 Application filed eptemher 1, 1902. Serial No. 122,108. No model.)

To all whom it ntag concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. BAUGI-IAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paducah, in the county of McCracken and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Draft-Block Attachment for Freight-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in draft-block attachments for freight-cars.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of draft-rigging for freight cars and to provide a draft block adapted to be readily secured to a car and capable of receiving an ordinary car-coupling and the means for cushioning the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a draft-block of this character which will be light, strong, and durable and which will be adapted to be connected with a corresponding draft-block at the opposite end of a car by suitable draft-rods.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a reverse plan view of a draftblock for freightcars constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the block, showing the same inverted, to illustrate the construction more clearly.

Like numerals of reference designate corre sponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a draft-block constructed of malleable iron, cast-steel, or other suitable material and provided with a longitudinal opening 2 for the reception of the shank 3 of a draw-head 4:. The opening 2 extends inward from the front or outer end of the draftblock, which is open at the bottom and which is reduced at the front portion at the top to provide opposite recesses 5 for the reception of the end sill 6 of the car, and the shoulders 7, formed by the front end recesses 5, bear against the sill 6 and enable the draft-block to pull against the same.

The draft-block, which may be of any desired size, is provided at opposite sides of its front portion with transverse bottom grooves 8 for the reception of a transverse strap 9, which is bolted to the d raft-block for supporting thedraw-head. The draft-block is provided at opposite sides of the longitudinal opening with recesses 10 and 11, formed in the side walls of the said opening and arranged in pairs, as shown, for the reception of follower-plates 12 and 13. The follower-plates, which are provided with suitable openings for the reception of the rear portion of the shank of the draw-head or other suitable device, are located at the ends of a coiled cushioning-spring 14, which is interposed between the follower-plates and which is adapted to cushion the coupling in both its inward and outward movements, as will be readily understood. The inner or rear follower-plate 13 is engaged by a suitable pin or key 15; but any other suitable means may be employed for-connecting the plates with the shank of the drawhead, and, if desired, any other arrangement of cushioning device may be used. In practice the follower-plates will be retained in the recesses of the draft-block by longitudinal straps 16, (illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings,) adapted to support the rear portion of the car-coupling.

The draftblock is provided at opposite sides with laterally-extending lugs or enlargements 17, located adjacent to the rear end of the block and provided with longitudinal perforations 18 for the reception of draft-rods 19 for connecting the draft-blocks at the ends of a car. The connecting-rods are provided at their outer ends with heads 20 for engaging shoulders formed by the laterally-extending lugs, and the inner ends of the rods 19 are connected by a suitable turnbuckle not shown) for enabling them to be readily adjusted.

The draft-block is provided at opposite sides with exterior longitudinal grooves 21, located in advance of the shoulders of the lugs 17 and adapted to permit the rods to be readily introduced into and removed from the openings 18 of the lugs.

The top of the draft-block is provided with suitable apertures 22 to lighten the construction, and the solid rear portion 23 is provided with a depression or recess 24 for the same purpose, and any other suitable openings or recesses may be formed in the block to reduce the Weight to the desired extent, and I desire it to be understood that these and similar changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction Within the scope of the appended claim may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

The draftblock is provided at opposite sides with vertical perforations for the reception of bolts for securing it to a car; but the bolts may be arranged in any other desired manner, and the number may be varied.

It will be seen that the draft-block is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be readily applied to freight-cars and the like, and that it possesses great strength and durability, as it consists of a single piece of metal.

What I claim is- A draft-block designed to be secured to a car and provided at opposite sides with perforated lugs and having a longitudinal opening for the reception of the shank of a drawhead, the opening at the front portion of the block being extended entirely through the same from the top to the bottom thereof and the rear portion of the opening terminating short of the top of the block and said block being provided at opposite sides with recesses for the reception of follower plates, said block being also recessed at opposite sides of the front portion of the longitudinal opening to form shoulders for engaging a car, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses,

THOMAS M. BAUGHAN.

Witnesses:

CHEsLEY C. HERNDON, FRANK A. LUCAS. 

